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Fuki

菜蕗

[Genre]Sokyoku
[Style]Kumiuta
[School]Ikuta Ryû - 生田
[Also Known As]Etenraku
[Composed]Yatsuhashi Kengyō - Koto

History (Tsuge Gen'ichi):

Fuki is the first (and best known) of the ‘Thirteen Yatsuhashi Song Cycles,’ some of which were derived from the earlier tsukushi-goto tradition. This song cycle in particular, however, demonstrates a rather direct relationship with gagaku, the ancient court music which is the root of the tsukushi-goto. A significant link between Fuki and Etenraku, a gagaku piece, has been pointed out in terms of their melodic structure.

This song cycle consists of several songs. There is a legend which tells of seven noblemen who used to gather at the residence of the Ouchi clan of Tsukushi in northern Kyushu around the mid-sixteenth century.

Together they composed a song cycle, based on the melody of Etenraku, each contributing one song. This is what we know today as Fuki. Later, however, one of the seven died. Nonetheless the rest continued to compose, and made several sets of songs. Therefore, Fuki consists of seven songs, but other song cycles which they composed consist of six.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)

Rhubarb is but the name (1)
Of a plant,
Ginger is also the name (2)
Of a plant.
May wealth be boundless
And virtuous
And providence
Be on everyone!

Koto music
For the flowering spring
‘Music of the Flowery Breeze,’ (3)
And ‘Garden of Willow Blossoms.’ (4)
In the willow garden
A bush warbler
Sings the same tune (5)
The court musicians play.

Strains of the koto
Before the moon at night
Announce the arrival
Of the chilly autumn wind.
Wild geese
In the distant sky-
Their song echoes
On my koto. (6)

Inside the Chinese Emperor’s
Long Life Palace
Spring and autumn
Stand still.
Before
The Never-Aging Gate
Even the moon
Slows down.

Who are they
Standing in the shadow
Of the gallery
At the Kokiden Pavilion?
Lady Oborozukiyo,
Head of the maids of honor,
And the Shining Genji,
Captain of the Palace Guards.

Who is knocking,
This late night
At my locked gate?
Knock you may,
But I’ll not open,
Since we made
No promises
In the evening.

Even a screen
Of seven feet- (7)
If you jump
How can you not surmount it?
Even a sleeve
Of fine silk-
If you tug
How can it not tear off?

(1) The Japanese word for rhubarb is fuki. Fuki is a kind of Japanese rhubarb but may be represented by the Chinese characters for ‘wealth’ and ‘honor.
(2) The Japanese word for ginger is myoga. Myoga is a plant belonging to the ginger family (zingiber mioga), but may be represented by auspicious Chinese characters meaning ‘divine protection.’
(3) Kafuraku
(4) Ryukaen. See ‘The Tale of Genji’ (‘The Festival of the Cherry Blossoms’ (Hana no en)).
(5) Refers to the dance piece Shunnoden (‘Spring Warbler’).
(6) The thirteen moveable bridges on the koto are said to resemble wild geese (karigane) in flight.
(7) This verse refers to an anecdote about the First Ch’in Emperor (r. 259-210 B.C.) who is said to have avoided Ching K’e, an assassin of Yen, by jumping over a high screen while the assassin was listening spellbound to Madame Hua Yang’s music. The text is based on Hua Yang’s song, in which she suggested to the emperor how to make his escape.
Fuki to iu mo
kasu no na
myooga to iu mo
kusa no na
fuki jizai
toku arite
myooga
arasetamae ya

Haru no hana no
kinkyoku
kafuuraku ni
ryuukaen
ryuukaen no
uguisu wa
onaji kyoku wo
saezuru

Tsuki no mae no
shirabe wa
wosamu wo tsuguru
akikaze
kumoi no
karigane wa
kotoji ni otsuru
koegoe

Chooseiden no
uchi niwa
shunjuu wo
tomeri
furoomon no
mae niwa
tsuki no kage
ososhi

Kookiden no
hosodono ni
tatazumu wa
taredare
oborozukiyo no
naishi-no-kami
hikaru genji no
taishoo

Taso ya kono
yachuuni
saitaru kado wo
tataku wa
tataku tomo
yomo akeji
yoi no yakusoku
nakereba

Shisseki no
heifuu mo
odoraba nadoka
koezaran
raryoo no
tamoto mo
hikaba nadoka
kirezaran

Fuki appears on the following albums

Album Artist

Abe Keiko Record Set - 01 Voice : Abe Keiko
Koto : Abe Keiko

Kikuhara Hatsuko Zenshu vol. 1 Voice : Kikuhara Hatsuko
Koto : Kikuhara Hatsuko

Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 03 Voice : Abe Keiko
Koto : Abe Keiko

Sōkyoku Koten Meikyoku no Hikaku Kenkyū (Comparative study of koto classics) 1 Koto : Inoue Mina

Sōkyoku Koten Meikyoku no Hikaku Kenkyū (Comparative study of koto classics) 1 Koto : Sanada Shin

Sōkyoku Koten Meikyoku no Hikaku Kenkyū (Comparative study of koto classics) 1 Koto : Matsuo Keiko

Sōkyoku Koten Meikyoku no Hikaku Kenkyū (Comparative study of koto classics) 1 Koto : Takahashi Eisei II

Yonekawa Fumiko - Complete Works vol. 2 Voice : Yonekawa Fumiko I
Koto : Yonekawa Fumiko I